THIS SQUIRREL MONKEY ENJOYING HIS LIFE IN A
NATURAL HABITAT
Project R&R: Release and Restitution for Chimpanzees in US Laboratories

YOU Can Help Stop Cruel Radiation Experiments

NASA is funding space radiation studies that will be done on live
squirrel monkeys. The plan ó which will cost $1.75 million ó was proposed by
Jack Bergman, PhD of McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. The monkeys will be
exposed to radiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory and then be shipped
to McLean Hospital where they will be made to perform tasks to test for
cognitive impairment. These highly intelligent and social primates will be
housed alone in steel cages for at least four years and be subjected to
daily restraint in primate chairs.

So far, NASA has ignored all calls to halt the experiments, despite
growing opposition to these cruel and scientifically flawed studies.

Genetic, physiological, and anatomical differences between humans and
monkeys dramatically limit the conclusions that can be drawn from the
planned studies.

Further, studies to test the effects of radiation on monkeys have been
going on for decades even though ongoing studies, including those funded by
NASA, already use non-animal methods to determine the effects of low-dose
radiation on human tissues.

Please contact NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr., and ask him to
put a stop to these cruel and unnecessary experiments. Administrator Bolden
needs to hear from you.

You support the mission of NASA.
Space radiation studies involving the use of live animals are cruel and
pointless.
Genetic and physiological differences between humans and monkeys make this
research ineffectual.
Monkeys are sentient beings who experience pain and suffering.
The experiments are in direct violation of the NASA Principles for the
Ethical Care and Use of Animals.
There are viable non-animal research methods that can, are, and should be
used.

Thank You for your compassion, humanity and common sense.
Please continue standing up and speaking against the cruelty and speciesism
toward non-humans.

In Solidarity
Gina Maltese

Quote
FROM:: "http://blog.peta2.com/2010/05/one_minute_mission_nasa_tortures_monkeys.html"
Right now, NASA is planning to fund an experiment in which up to 30 squirrel
monkeys will be exposed to radiation in experiments that have previously
left monkeys with fatal cancers, including brain tumors. Ridiculous? Yes.
Cruel? Definitely. NASA is supposed to be the definition of all things
futuristic and coolónot the face of cruelty to animals.

What Is Radiation poisoning

Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness", is damage to the
(human or other animal) body from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.
The term is generally used to refer to acute problems caused by a large
dosage of radiation in a short period. Many of the symptoms of radiation
poisoning occurs as ionizing radiation interferes with cell division. This
especially causes problems with rapidly dividing cells, such as intestinal
cells. The symptoms of radiation poisoning include skin burns, fainting,
fatigue, diarrhea, hair loss, and at extremely high dosages, death. An
extremely high dose of radiation, such as 10,000 rads in a short period will
cause unconsciousness and death as nerve cells are destroyed. A smaller
dosage will cause immediate illness of fainting and fatigue, but the victim
will appear to recover, only to die within days as the rapidly dividing
intestinal cells fail. Exposure to 400 roentgens in a short period is fatal
within a few days in approximately half the cases. If the victim survives
the next few weeks, he or she is likely to recover, but will face an
increased chance of cancer.

Chronic exposure to radiation can lead to leukemia and other cancers.
Ironically, the ability of radiation to disturb cell division is also used
to treat cancer.

Radiation poisoning can result from accidental exposure to natural or
industrial radiation sources. People working with radioactive materials
often wear film "badges" to monitor their total exposure to radiation.

Radiation poisoning caused illness and death after the bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki and downwind of the atmospheric testing of the '50s,
and was a major concern after the Chernobyl reactor accident.

SO NOW YOU SEE WHY THE CONCERN ABOUT RADIATION, NOW SEE HOW RADIATION
AFFECTS HUMANS AS WELL AS ANIMALS, WHY EXPOSE INNOCENT MONKEYS TO THESE
HORRORS AND POSSIBLE DEATH?

Yesterday, a commenter by the name of Georg provided links to seven
YouTube videos about ionizing radiation that he and Kansas State University
members just created. After viewing them, I highly recommend for anyone to
take a gander on over. The voice of the videos is alluring and the graphics
are simple and creative. For me, the video on Quantities and Units of
radiation (below) was the best of the seven. Understanding units of
radiation is always tricky for me and Iím sure others. There are Sieverts,
there are Rems, there are Becquerels and so on. The video explains it all
quite lucidly.